Meal Plan for 5 Day Family Camping Trip

After successfully completing our first family camping trip I wanted to share with you some tips and meal suggestions. Before we left I searched the internet for meal ideas for family camping. I found a few really good ones and some that didn’t work so well for us.

I really enjoyed researching some camp meals and trying to provide my family with good food while we are camping. Hot dogs are ok and even fun when you are camping, but when you are on the road for 7 days you need more.

I will start by saying that I brought too much food. I got carried away thinking that I should bring things because they would just be nice to have. I didn’t know with what meal they would go, but surely they would be appreciated. They weren’t and they just took up space and went bad.

My suggestion is to stay simple. Bring food that everyone likes and don’t think this is the time to get your kids to start eating something new. You won’t have the energy to fight the battle and then you will feel guilty for wasting food.

Scroll down to see the details.

5 Day Meal Plan for family of 4:

Day 1: (Usually get to camp in the afternoon and only have dinner day 1)

Dinner: Hobo Packs

We had never had these before and they were great. This is going on my 1st night for camping always. I would even make enough to have them two nights. You can do terakkai on night to change it up. I recommend double wrapping the packs in tinfoil to avoid the juice leaking and burning the contents.Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat – cubed

2 onions, diced

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

4 cloves garlic, sliced

4 small potatoes, cubed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

In a large bowl, or a large zip-top bag, combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, yellow pepper, red pepper, garlic, and potatoes. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice, then mix well.
Evenly divide the mixture between 4 large sheets of aluminum foil. Top each with another sheet of foil, and roll up the edges tightly. Wrap each packet again, securely in another sheet of foil to double wrap.
Cook in the hot coals of a campfire until the chicken is opaque and the potatoes are tender, around 40 minutes.

Finish of with SMORES!!!

Day 2: (Or any day that you have a leisurely morning and want a big breakfast.)

Breakfast: Omelet in a bag

We made these ahead of time. I chopped the veggies and meat, had the cheese sliced and in the bags. We just added eggs and cooked. The cooking wasn’t that easy. The eggs make a little pocket. The outsides get done, but there is a liquid center that is hard to get cooked. I was also worried about the baggie melting, which never happened.

My conclusion is that next time I would just do omelets in a pan. Still getting one pan dirty, but easier to cook the omelet. I would still prep the veggies, meat and cheese.

Here are the directions if you want to try it yourself.

2 Lg eggs

bacon, ham or sausages

shredded cheddar cheese

omelet veggies

salt

pepper

Ziploc bag

Cooking instructions:

This is another great idea of a bag breakfast. All you have to do is crack the eggs into a Ziploc bag, add the cheese, meat of choice and the veggies, plus salt and pepper. Now place the bag inside a pot of boiling water and let it sit for around 10 minutes.

Lunch: Fruit, Trail Mix, Cheese

For lunch we kept it very simple and light. We were usually out and about and didn’t want to take the time to come back to camp to cook. We would pack a snack pack and munch throughout the afternoon.

Dinner: Spaghetti w/ Robust Meat & Veggie Sauce & Garlic Bread

I pre-made the sauce and froze it in a gallon size freezer bag. This was great. It served as ice on the way up and kept cold until we put it in the pan.

This is the recipe for my semi-homemade spaghetti:

Ingredients:

1-Jar Prego spaghetti Sauce

1 8oz can whole tomatoes

1 package mushrooms

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. italian sausage

3 Stocks cellary

1 large onion

Salt, pepper and italian seasoning

Directions:

Brown onion, ground beef and sausage in skillet and drain grease.

Slice mushrooms and celery then add all the rest of the ingredients.

Add all other ingredients and let simmer a few hours.

Finish of with SMORES!!!

Day 3: (Or any day that you have a quick morning or are tired of doing dishes)

Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal & Yogurt

Bring paper bowls and plastic spoons. Just boil water and add to the oatmeal. Open the yogurt and enjoy. Add granola and a cup of coffee…you are set. No clean up!

Lunch: Sandwiches, Fruit & Chips

Keep it simple with your sandwiches. Try to bring cold cuts that you don’t need a lot of condiments with.

Dinner: Bean Soup & Corn Bread

Again I made this at home in our crock pot and then froze it in a large ziplock bag.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion

1 green bell pepper

2 cans red kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can white beans

1 can other bean of your choice

2 can whole tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

Salt & Pepper to taste

3 cups grated cheddar cheese

sour cream

Marie Calendars Cornbread mix-Pre make at home according to directions in disposable aluminum pan.

Directions

Brown ground beef and onion, drain and add all other ingredients.

Simmer for a few hours then freeze.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dab of sour cream and corn bread on the side.

Finish of with SMORES!!!

Day 4:

Breakfast: Pancakes

Pre made pancake mix and water. Be sure to remember the butter and syrup if you like that.

Lunch: Fruit, Trail Mix, Cheese, Snacks

Pack a lunch with items you have been enjoying. Keep it light to save room for a big delicious dinner. Keep hydrated with liquids and fruit.

Dinner: BBQ Steak, Corn on the Cob & Baked Potato

Nothing better than BBQ steak and corn. You can buy the meat later in the trip if you are close to a market. If not freeze it and let it thaw before you cook it.

Finish of with SMORES!!!

Day 5: (Left Overs)

This is the day to get rid of everything. Eat anything you have left.

Breakfast: Eggs and sausage or bacon or cereal or danish or whatever you have left.

If you have left over eggs and meat from the omelets make that. If not do cold cereal with milk, juice or coffee, or a danish. We got pre made danishes and used them as desert and breakfast for one day.

Lunch: Whatever you have left.

If you have cold cuts make sandwiches, if not spaghetti or been soup.

Dinner: Smorgasbord of left overs

Seriously, you are going to have a lot of extra food. Let everyone find what they want. No more saving anything. If it’s there it’s on the menu.

How did you reheat the spaghetti sauce and soup? Just a pan and a gas stove?

David Browning

we have been camping for 26 years at 9300 ft with the family, we love boil in the bag omlettes, eggs any veggie ham or bacon bits put anything in the bag seal it and put into boiling water cook about 3-5 minutes and its eat time

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